1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices. More specifically, the invention concerns dental products.
2. Description of Related Art
According to the American Dental Association one out of every four persons in the U.S. alone has teeth which are sensitive to the cold. For these millions of people, any drinking of cold liquids or eating cold foods can be uncomfortable or even painful. An often-overlooked component of this problem is its effect on tooth brushing. Brushing with cold toothpaste on a cold toothbrush can be very unpleasant for a person with cold-sensitive teeth. Though such a person is often well aware of the importance of good dental hygiene, when brushing is painful there is a natural tendency to avoid brushing or to "forget" to brush. This leads to less frequent brushing. The teeth may also be brushed less thoroughly. The consequences are increased rates of dental problems, frequent trips to the dentist, and higher expenses for dental care. Children often have cold-sensitive teeth; avoiding brushing may be the only clue parents have of the problem.
Some people with cold-sensitive teeth warm a toothbrush by running hot water over it before brushing. This can take time, particularly in a home where hot water is not immediately available. Running water to warm it also wastes water. Even if the toothbrush is warm from the hot water, the toothpaste remains cold, so brushing can still be unpleasant. Toothpaste takes time to equilibrate to room temperature; if a home is kept cool at night, the toothpaste may still be very cold when the teeth are brushed in the morning.
Toothpaste formulated for sensitive teeth can help with the problem of cold sensitivity, but is not a complete solution. Brushing with this toothpaste can still be uncomfortable when the toothpaste is very cold. Specially formulated toothpaste is also expensive. The number of formulations available is very limited, so that the toothpaste may not have other features desired by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,973 to Lou discloses an apparatus for prewarming tooth paste in a tooth paste tube. A cap-shaped member replaces the original cap of the tooth paste tube. The cap-shaped member has an electrical heating element enveloping the outlet end of the tooth paste tube. The tooth paste passes through the apparatus. A thermostat in the cap-shaped member controls the temperature. The cap-shaped member has a stiff area which is formed into a rigid electrical plug, so that it can be inserted directly into an electric wall socket.
U.S. Pat. 2,955,191 to J. A. Galgano et al. discloses a heating device for aerosol-type lather dispensers. The device provides hot lather for shaving. The device has a slot to permit it to be wall-mounted on a support screw or bolt.
U.S. Pat. 5,210,396 to Sanders discloses an electrical baby wipe warmer apparatus. The container body surrounds and heats all sides of a baby wipe box. A container lid member is pivotally connected to the container body.
U.S. Pat. 5,700,991 to Osbern discloses a device for heating a gel for use in physical examinations. The warm gel alleviates patient discomfort during pelvic, rectal, and genital examinations and the like. A plastic heat exchanger surrounds the gel container. A base having a larger diameter than the heat exchanger prevents tipping. A thermostated heating coil in the base heats a heat exchange fluid, such as vegetable oil.
U.S. Pat. 5,786,573 to Fabrikant et al. discloses a heater for shaving cream having a ring-shaped heating element. The heating element may be donut-shaped to fit around the shaving cream container. An inner ring may be included to allow the heating element to be slidably adjusted up and down the length of the container. Alternatively, the heating element may be dome-shaped to fit into the bottom of a shaving cream container.
British Patent No. 394,191 to Ottosson discloses an apparatus for boiling liquids for medicinal and chemical purposes. The apparatus has a receiving chamber for a test tube surrounded by aggregate. A heating element is mounted in the aggregate at an angle of about 45.degree.. Alternatively, the heating element may be mounted in a tubular container which is adjustable to various angular positions.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.